One-shot Randomness

The Gardens

"Arthur enjoys tending to the gardens himself" Leo informs him.

Augustus looks up from where he is settled by a small field of flowers. The gardens are vast. Large enough to fit the population of the entire kingdom while still having room for more.

"One person can not possibly maintain this entire place." He gestures towards the vast gardens.

Leo's lips turn up slightly. Endeared by Augustus he huffs silently in amusement. "Oh, no. We have gardeners and several guards tend to the gardens. The royal family has no need to maintain the gardens themselves."

Augustus looks upon the flowers and herbs of the gardens in wonder. "Do you take care of the gardens as well?" He asks, distracted by his wonder of the gardens.

"Yes. I do." Leo answers, fondness seeping into his voice.

Leo looks at Augustus. "Would you allow me to show you my favorite place in the gardens?" He reaches out a hand for him.

Augustus looks at Leo, curious. He takes his hand. "You may."

They walk across the gardens until they reach a patch of yellow roses with red ones surrounding them. They enter the hedge of roses. Augustus constantly looking around, while Leo keeps his gaze steadily ahead.

"Why is this your favorite place?" Augustus asked, still breathless from the wonder of the gardens he saw.

Leo's eyes softened as fond memories are remembered. "He reached out to one of the yellow roses. "These flowers were the favorite of someone dear to me." He says with a pained look in his eyes.

Augustus looks at Leo. The melancholic aura around him screams that he has lost someone whom he misses every second of the day.

"He is not here anymore. Is he." Augustus says as gently as he could, approaching the lonely guard.

Leo closes his eyes. "No." He whispers. "He is not." He opens his eyes once more. Removing his hand from the rose. "He has not been for a long while."

Augustus stands beside the guard. "If I may ask," Leo nods. "Who is this person you find so dear?"

Leo takes a deep breath. Refusing to face Augustus, he gazes upon the flowers instead. "He was the former king's brother. He was meant to be king." Augustus looks at Leo expectantly. "Unfortunately, he was killed before he could be crowned king."

Leo reaches for a flower once more. Not letting go this time. The silence is comforting. A moment for Leo to mourn one he lost.

"I gather flowers from here to give him every year," Leo says.

Augustus looks away from Leo. He gently holds a flower in his hands.

"Did Arthur gather the flowers he sent me from the gardens?" Augustus asked innocently whilst gazing upon the yellow rose.

Leo considered his word. Gently caressing a rose answered.

"Yes. He did. He always seemed especially happy when preparing a letter," He turned to Augustus wondering what his king saw in this man. This person who had betrayed him. This person who has wronged him. Who has hurt him so deeply. "For you."

Augustus tore his hands away from the rose as if it had poisoned him. "Oh." He says in a small voice. He looks down in guilt. He regrets hurting Arthur. His friend. His only friend.

Now he stands the in the gardens the king has once walked through. Happily selecting flowers for his friend. He stands there with the king's face.

He is guilty. He deserves nothing. Such a cruel person as he deserves not even deserve the freedom of death."Arthur enjoys tending to the gardens himself" Leo informs him.

Augustus looks up from where he is settled by a small field of flowers. The gardens are vast. Large enough to fit the population of the entire kingdom while still having room for more.

"One person can not possibly maintain this entire place." He gestures towards the vast gardens.

Leo's lips turn up slightly. Endeared by Augustus he huffs silently in amusement. "Oh, no. We have gardeners and several guards tend to the gardens. The royal family has no need to maintain the gardens themselves."

Augustus looks upon the flowers and herbs of the gardens in wonder. "Do you take care of the gardens as well?" He asks, distracted by his wonder of the gardens.

"Yes. I do." Leo answers, fondness seeping into his voice.

Leo looks at Augustus. "Would you allow me to show you my favorite place in the gardens?" He reaches out a hand for him.

Augustus looks at Leo, curious. He takes his hand. "You may."

They walk across the gardens until they reach a patch of yellow roses with red ones surrounding them. They enter the hedge of roses. Augustus constantly looking around, while Leo keeps his gaze steadily ahead.

"Why is this your favorite place?" Augustus asked, still breathless from the wonder of the gardens he saw.

Leo's eyes softened as fond memories are remembered. "He reached out to one of the yellow roses. "These flowers were the favorite of someone dear to me." He says with a pained look in his eyes.

Augustus looks at Leo. The melancholic aura around him screams that he has lost someone whom he misses every second of the day.

"He is not here anymore. Is he." Augustus says as gently as he could, approaching the lonely guard.

Leo closes his eyes. "No." He whispers. "He is not." He opens his eyes once more. Removing his hand from the rose. "He has not been for a long while."

Augustus stands beside the guard. "If I may ask," Leo nods. "Who is this person you find so dear?"

Leo takes a deep breath. Refusing to face Augustus, he gazes upon the flowers instead. "He was the former king's brother. He was meant to be king." Augustus looks at Leo expectantly. "Unfortunately, he was killed before he could be crowned king."

Leo reaches for a flower once more. Not letting go this time. The silence is comforting. A moment for Leo to mourn one he lost.

"I gather flowers from here to give him every year," Leo says.

Augustus looks away from Leo. He gently holds a flower in his hands.

"Did Arthur gather the flowers he sent me from the gardens?" Augustus asked innocently whilst gazing upon the yellow rose.

Leo considered his word. Gently caressing a rose answered.

"Yes. He did. He always seemed especially happy when preparing a letter," He turned to Augustus wondering what his king saw in this man. This person who had betrayed him. This person who has wronged him. Who has hurt him so deeply. "For you."

Augustus tore his hands away from the rose as if it had poisoned him. "Oh." He says in a small voice. He looks down in guilt. He regrets hurting Arthur. His friend. His only friend.

Now he stands the in the gardens the king has once walked through. Happily selecting flowers for his friend. He stands there with the king's face.

He is guilty. He deserves nothing. Such a cruel person as he deserves not even deserve the freedom of death.